A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 07 eBook

They live with great devotion, and are well accommodated
with houses; yet are they among tyrants who may always
do them much harm at their pleasure, as in reality
happened to them in the year 1565. At that time
the nayer or lord of the city sent to demand
from the citizens certain Arabian horses, which they
refused; whereupon this lord gave out that he proposed
to take a view of the sea, so that the poor citizens
doubted some evil was meant against them by this unusual
circumstance, dreading that he would plunder the city.
Accordingly they embarked as fast as they could with
all their goods and moveables, merchandise, jewels,
and money, and put off from the shore. But to
their great misfortune, a great storm arose next night,
by which all their ships were driven on shore and
wrecked, and all their goods which came to land were
seized by the troops of this great lord, who had come
down with his army to see the sea.

[Footnote 151: It is not easy to say whether
the author means to express that Negapatam is this
great city 72 miles from Ceylon, or if he refers to
another city 72 miles from Negapatam.—­E.]

SECTION XIII.

Of Saint Thome and other places.

Following my voyage from Negapatam 150 miles towards
the east, I came to the house of the blessed apostle
St Thomas[152], which is a church held in great devotion,
and is even much reverenced by the Gentiles, for the
great miracles which they have heard were performed
by that holy apostle. Near to this church the
Portuguese have built a city, which stands in the
country that is subject to the king of Bijanagur.
Though not large, this city, in my judgment, is the
handsomest in all that part of India, having many
good houses with fine gardens in the environs.
The streets are large and in straight lines, with
many well frequented churches; and the houses are
built contiguous, each having a small door, so that
every house is sufficiently defensible by the Portuguese
against the natives. The Portuguese have no other
property here beyond their houses and gardens, as
the sovereignty, together with the customs on trade,
belong to the king of Bijanagur. These customs
are small and easy, and the country is very rich and
has great trade. Every year there come to this
port two or three very large and rich ships, besides
many other small ships. One of these great ships
goes to Pegu and the other to Malacca, laden with
fine bumbast or cotton cloth of all kinds, many
of them being beautifully painted, and as it were gilded
with various colours, which grow the livelier the
oftener they are washed. There is also other
cotton cloth that is woven of divers colours and is
of great value. They also make at St Thome a
great quantity of red yarn, dyed with a root called
saia, which never fades in its colour, but grows
the redder the oftener it is washed. Most of this
red yarn is sent to Pegu, where it is woven into cloth
according to their own fashion, and at less cost than
can be done at St Thome.